It was hard work, but my mentor was a hoot and made it fun. And when she was doing the final formatting and transfers to disk, I got a little time to go to the beach. Not just any beach, mind you, but the celebrated Siesta Key beach. And I could see why it's gotten such great reviews. The sand was so fine and light that it felt like I was walking on baby powder. I delayed going in the water because I wanted to keep feeling that sand in my toes. But when I did go in the water, I enjoyed it just as much, as it was a beautiful blue-green, warm, and inviting (the only problem being the salt making by eyes burn). I had less than an hour there, but it was a delightful experience I will never forget.
I didn't get much chance to do sightseeing, either, but after getting there my mom and I did go to Mote Aquarium, which while not being the most modern facility does have two manatees, whose presence was kinda hypnotic. Sunday we went to the John and Mable Ringling Museum complex (supposedly the single "must-see" attraction in the area), and it was really fascinating. The actual museum of art itself was heavy on Baroque work (especially Rubens), and while it did have some nice pieces, it perhaps wasn't quite as revelatory as I'd hoped. (I guess I'm just spoiled from having all those great museums so nearby in NYC. Also we had to rush through it at the end of the day.) For me, the real gems of the experience were (1) learning about the history and inner workings of the circus in the two circus-oriented buildings, one of which has "the largest model circus in the world," the product of over 50 years of work by one man; (2) visiting "Ca d'Zan" (Venetian dialect for "House of John"), the Ringlings' elaborate, Italian-inspired home while the circus was in Sarasota winter quarters, and especially sitting on the terrace situated right on the bay; (3) pondering the many enormous banyan trees on the estate; and (4) having a perfect key lime pie in the restaurant.
We had a few very nice meals there, and some that weren't quite as spiffy but had the advantage of being free. The Hilton Homewood Suites served a free, hot breakfast buffet every morning and a free light dinner on Monday-Thursday. The free breakfast meant a huge savings in time, energy, and money, and I recommend giving this hotel chain a look. My favorite meal, however, was at a place called Ophelia's by the Bay, with a table literally right on the waterside. The food was really good, but what I'll always remember are the mullet fish leaping out of the water. One little guy leaped three times in a row. I could have sat and watched them all day.
Anyway, I had a great time, though it probably won't compare to KT's Hawaii trip. I came away wanting to be a beach bum for life -- OK, maybe a beach bum that does voice-overs. Who knows? Well, it's back to reality now. I hope the rest of the summer doesn't suck by comparison.
